One Year With Ankha
by MaverickKayPrime
Summary: Averi is your average guy. That is until he realized he was destined to be alone. Afraid of dying a sad, lonely existence, he sets forth on a quest to win the heart of his lovely neighbor Ankha. But with a megalomaniac mayor, a town full of crazy inhabitants, and his own fears, pulling off such a feat may not feasible. So join him in his attempts to woo her, all in one year.
1. Day 1

Day 1

There was a certain something I had learned that day. That one, random January day, in the middle of a cold Winter. It was something many would learn probably around the same time as me, but usually much farther in. A growing fear many living beings have – myself included. It was something I had ignored for some time until that moment, something I thought would never befall me.

On that day, I learned I was going to die _alone_. And it all started with an everyday visit to my local museum...

"HOO!?" the owl shouted into my ears, setting me up for another alarming statement that I should feel ire over, "Oh dear! Upon closer examination, I have grave news to share with you, Averi! It's a fake! Why, it's as clear as the difference between cotton candy and coconut cake! Shocking!"

Day after day, listening to Blathers' rants were getting to me. What number was this? I spend a boatload of Bells on a shiny looking painting from Redd, take it over here, get yelled at like I'm a dumbbell, and its my fault this painting is fake.

"I get it, Blathers!" I respond, pushing my glasses up on my face, "Jeeze... couldn't you have told me in a different way instead of yelling my ears off?"

"Et wha?" he responded with eyes wide, before standing tall, his face serious, "But I must tell you this, Averi! If not, how will you know about the validity of your paintings?"

Seriously, there should be some sort of app for that. The 'Redd Detector', or something like that; let's you tell if something you got from Redd is the real deal or not. It would save me the time I constantly waste, not to mention the Bells.

I wanted to strangle Blathers, really. Our weekly, or bi-weekly (or perhaps monthly) exchange like this was getting on my nerves. To be honest, it wasn't his fault though. Besides, it wasn't a total bummer. I was just gonna sell a lot of my junk to the Re-Tail anyway, and get some more Bells.

Which I would then – later on – spend at Redd's shop. The cycle continues.

"Is there anything else you'd like for me to investigate, Averi?" Blather's asked in his usual thinking pose, a hand on his chin.

"No," I replied, eyes half closed, "Though, I think a few bugs in the Insect Hall caught loose..."

"WHAT!? NO! YOU MUST BE LYING!" he shouted before turning around, making his way for the stairs in the back, "CELESTE! THE BUGS ARE AT IT AGAIN! CELESTE!"

That was a lie. Me saying that was just to watch Blathers freak out. I didn't even go into the Bug Hall today, so I wouldn't know if the bugs got out or not. I'm surprised Blathers didn't call me out on my obvious flagrant.

Okay, so maybe that was rude of me; mean-spirited even. After all, what business did I have taking my anger out on Blathers like that? I am the idiot who bought something from Redd knowing full well it was probably fake. Heck, I could tell it was fake by just holding the forged painting. Maybe it was how the hands on the Asian man were pointed like guns...

Weird...

…

I'm not a bad guy. I'm just incredibly plain. That's how I feel about myself, anyway. Just laying here on my couch, my brown eyes gazing to the ceiling. Am I watching the TV, or is the TV watching me? That's something my mother would say in this situation. Might even tell me to quit waste the power. But its my house, and I can do as I please.

Jeeze... I sound like a child.

Removing my hat from my head, I groan with annoyance. Just last week, we had the New Years Eve celebration. Phoebe got wasted, Marcie kept her away from her daughter, Lionel told me things I honestly didn't care about, Fang stayed back because its 'kewl', Samson told his usual brand of jokes, Peewee and Curlos _almost_ got into a fight with one another (I would've loved that; both of them could get a good butt-whooping), all the while Isabelle ran left and right in her best efforts to keep the piece.

And what of the mayor? Oh yes, my _sister_. Ack...

So, yeah, I guess you can say I'm boring. I mean, like, what am I doing right now? Just laying on my couch, laxly watching TV, wondering if I'll eventually doze off. I'm somewhat affluent; if I run out of money, I'll just pawn some things at the retail because I don't have a job, and thus no reason to really leave.

I'm boring. I'm plain. I need to get the hell out of this house.

Springing up quickly, I allow that air of disorientation take me, if ever so briefly. The music drumming through my home was so melancholic, so random, so disturbing; the hell was I listening to?

Oh... Hypno K. K. Now I know why I've been so depressed as of late.

Switching the music that played in my house from something less depressing (not to mention terrifying) into something more upbeat, I could feel energy already running through my veins! Even now, I just wanna go out and fish! Or dig up some fossils! I could use an expansion on my backroom, and make it into that gaming room I've always wanted.

Yes! Awesome! I can do this!

Or, I could just lay down again and watch TV for a few more minutes... hours...

 _Days_...

Putting down Hypno K. K.'s record, my eyes line the other record casings for my music. Each and everyone, laid side by side in this shelf that sits next to my retro stereo. One of them was just barely sticking out, however. My interest peaked, I pulled out the record, ever so slowly. My eyes run along the title.

 _Cafe K. K._

There's a cat on the album's cover. She's in the back; you can barely see her. But she's there, alright. My fingers, glide along the image of this cat; I know her all too well. Blonde hair, purple mascara on her eyes, and this beauty mark under her lip.

I shouldn't be looking at her.

Man, I'm so disgusted with myself. Sliding the record back inside, I walk for the door of my home. With a swipe, I pull my black denim jacket off my coat rack as well as my DJ cap. No, don't expect me to wreck DJ K. K. on the turntable anytime soon; that's just freaking stupid. Running my hands through my spiked hair for reasons I don't know (guess I just like the feeling of my own hair), I placed the hat on it. And of course, before setting outside the door, I settle my glasses on my face.

And I push the door open; the sight of snow-covered flowers assault my eyes.

 _January 16_ _th_ _, 2016_.

Every step I take on this foggy midday afternoon crunches into the snow. Staring down at my boots, I just know my toes are going to start freezing off moments from now. Shaking my head though, I start off into my lovely village.

 _Crunch. Crunch. Crunch._

Where I used to live, it would rarely snow. I remember being a child, jumping around in the snow with my siblings, loving every moment of it. Throwing snow balls at one another.

Never could make snowmen, though. Freaking snowmen.

Tugging my hat on my head as light snow drifted upon my body, I crossed the bridge over the river. Fish were inside; I could get a good few Bells catching them. I don't feel like it though. Glancing up, my brown eyes befall a building right across the bridge. Brown, decently sized (well, bigger than mine, anyway), and the lights were all on. Just like any building in this town, it was surrounded in a sea of flowers.

Keep Traverse Beautiful! Your tax Bells at work!

Walking between the flowers, my eyes fall on the sign that has snow falling off of it. A sign, with a green bird(?) on it, and a heart coming out of its beak.

 _The Roost_ , it says, _Open 24 hours_.

Yeah, the roost. I could use a pick-me-up right now.

 _RING-DING!_

It so much warmer in this small, quaint cafe than it is outside. The fragrance of coffee beans, milk, cream, and many other things fill my nose. It was a smell I was always fond of, though it took me some good amount of years before tasting it.

There's no one in this building. Well, no other patrons, should I say. There is someone else. A green bird standing behind the counter. His eyes hidden behind his small glasses. His well trimmed mustache hanging. His beak closed always, and his hands cleaning a cup in his hand.

"Coo..." he says as I enter the building, making me approach.

"Evening, Brewster," I reply to his statement as I sit in the chair directly before him, seeing as there was no one else here with us, "How it been going today?"

"I can't... complain..." he replies, his eyes never leaving me, his hands never ceasing their shine.

"That's... good..." I replied, imagining that proverbial thinking cloud over my own head, "Uh... just a cup of coffee... I need to settle my mind."

"Coo..."

He turns, and begins pouring me a cup of piping hot java. I remove my glasses, and rub my face, groaning as I do so. I guess you can say I don't feel '100%' today. What with Blather's yapping at me about that picture, and me just laying on my couch in defeat. I can remember days when I wasn't like this. Remember days where I smiled more often, spent more time outside my house.

Ya'know; remember days when I had an actual _life_.

But my time here, these past three years in this city, just hasn't had that much of an impact on me like my own ways. I feel like I just go from one day of living to another; nothing changes that much. I wake up, waste my time doing something to get quick Bells, then I go to bed.

Jeeze, it's like college days all over again. I work my ass off to learn, get no where, while my own _sister_ lucks into the position of Mayor just by moving! Like, what's up with that!?

Brewster hands me my coffee, and I hand him the two-hundred Bells necessary for my drink. Before he asks me to drink, I raise my hand, cutting him off. Then I take a sip of that burning hot cup of coffee.

Freaking peer-pressure.

It burns, yeah, but I've grown used to it. Still, when Brewster isn't looking, I blow on it a few times. I take my time drinking the coffee, feeling little need to run out of the building. It's not like I have much to do anyway.

 _RING-DING!_

I don't care for the person who came into the building; I have little to say to him or her anyway. I simply gaze into the brown cup of coffee before me, grabbing upon its handle gently. As I bring it to my lips to take a sip of it, I realize that other person sits next to me. I gaze over to _her_.

She's frowning. She's _always_ frowning. When she looks at me, that immortal frown is all I ever see. Because that's her nature.

I can see those cat-like eyes of hers twitch at the sight of me; she appears to be annoyed. Just noticing that movement made me straighten up; her eyes slid into a stronger glare at the action. We both sat tall in our chairs, looking at one another. When she looks down at my clothes, I look down at her clothes. She's wearing those clothes that looks like rags; I have no idea what to call them. But it suits her well. She has a very Egyptian style going on, with her overall appearance. The clothing, the golden-yellow fur, the tiara on her head that bares the image of a snake.

Her tail curls upwards, and I look back up to her face, realizing she was staring at me. I can only imagine my face as I gaze at her embarrassingly.

"Ankha..." my disheveled voice comes out as I look at her.

"Good evening, Averi. It's interesting running into you this time of day, me meow."

Her voice is womanly. She lacks this playful tone in her voice I'm – admittedly – used to. She's serious, easily matching with that glare in her eyes and the tone in her voice.

"I was just bored," I reply as best as I could, shrugging my shoulders, "At home all day can do that to a person..."

"Indeed it can," she replied, before raising her paw, "Brewster. The usual, please."

"Coo..."

I watched as he grabbed coffee beams I had never seen before. 'Kilimanjaro' they say. He mixed them into their own pot and then poured that into a cup; all of it couldn't have taken more than two or three minutes. Before long, Ankha's own cup of delicious smelling coffee was given to her. She handed Brewster his payment before bringing the drink to her lips. Right before her lips met the hem of her cup, she stared at me.

"Is there... something on my face, Averi?"

"No... nothing," I answered her, averting my eyes and my face as best I can.

Jeeze Louise, I feel so... bleh! I've never been much of a 'people person' I guess you can say. Always been somewhat gated, somewhat distance. Being so close to Ankha, feeling her _tail_ against my back, naturally get's under my-

Wait, what?

Suddenly shooting up, I glance at the frowning feeling beside me. She was drinking her coffee laxly, not even paying attention to me. When I looked back, my eyes befell her tail. Did she even notice what she was doing? Touching me like this?

"Uh... could... could you please... stop that?" I ask of her, making Ankha face me with a 'hm?'

Her eyes grew wide when she realized what she was doing, and she finally smiled. It was an embarrassed smile, but a _cute_ one, I'd have to say.

"I apologize for that, Averi," she said with a laugh, "Sometimes, I swear, my tail get's a mind of its own!" frowning, she looked off, "I apologize once again, Averi."

"It's alright... it's... alright..."

I finished my cup of coffee, handing it back to Brewster. I was just about ready to leave, but my eyes glanced over at Ankha one last time. She seemed to have returned to normal; drinking her coffee without a care in the world.

"The mayor has told me quite a bit about you, Averi," she suddenly said, making me look back at her, "You two are siblings? I dare say, now that I look at you two, you do share a familial resemblance. How does it feel to have your older _sister_ as your mayor?"

What the hell did she just say? _Older_ sister? Such a statement made my eyes bulge in a strange mixture of shock and disgust. Seriously, if I could puke from my eyes, I probably would have at that moment.

"My _older_ sister?" I replied, nearly choking on nothing, "Did Katt tell you that? Loud-mouthed little brat; _I'm_ the older sibling! Katt's my little sister!"

"No, no, Katt didn't say anything like that," Ankha stated, a slight giggle coming out of her lips. The hell was with that giggle, "I merely _assumed_ it to be true. What, with her being the mayor and everything..."

"No, _I'm_ the older sibling," I stated, my hands laying on the counter before us, "Katt simply lucked into this position of 'mayor'..." then I mumbled so deep under my breath she couldn't hear it, "If you could even _call_ her a mayor..."

"What was that?"

"Nothing..."

I was disheveled; this conversation had me feeling weird. Without even thinking, I slammed down two hundred bells on the table, then spun around on the chair, facing the exit.

"Thanks for the coffee Brewster, and thanks for the talk, Ankha," I said as I lifted my hat, just to get some cool air over my hot head, "But I think it's time I headed out," I stood up, heading for the door, and faced them, "See you guys later."

"Have a good evening, Averi, me meow."

"Coo..."

Stepping out into the town, that cold air blew again once into my face. I was nearly knocked off my feet when it happened; all the sweat from standing in the Roost made me feel even colder. I cleaned it from my brow, slapping it to the ground. Something about that conversation had me feeling weird. I had a headache now, and my mind simply couldn't stop thinking about Ankha.

And a certain other cat I knew long ago.

Ankha, to me, always felt like another villager. Another villager I tended to think about _far_ too much. The only feline in the town of Traverse. Wait... actually... no, no, no... yeah, she is the only cat here. Honestly, I think she's the first cat as well; have we had another cat here over the past two years I've lived here?

Perhaps; that I cannot deny.

"Hm... Ankha..."

 _RING-DING!_

"Huh? Oh!"

Someone walked into me from behind, causing me to hop forward. Turning around, I faced the person who ran into me; it was Anhka. She tugged on the jacket she now wore, pulling down the hood on her head ever so slightly so I could get a better look at her.

"Averi... you're still here?" she asked of me, her eyes staring directly at me.

Her eyes. They're this dark-blue, nearly black. And yet, despite their incredible lack of color, they hold this shine I hadn't seen in quite a long time. As she looked at me, she brushed a few strands of her hair that constricted her face behind one of her sharp, triangular ears. And I – in matching such a movement – pushed my hat up a tad bit on my head.

"It's getting pretty late. And they say the snow is supposed to pile on tonight," Ankha said, averting her eyes from mine, "I was wondering, Averi. Do you mind walking me to my home? I don't enjoy walking in the cold night by myself. Where I'm come from, it was usually hot year round."

"Walk you home?" I replied, just looking down the hill we stood on and seeing said house in the distance, "S-sure."

She gained a smile on her lips when I accepted her proposal, and her eyes slid into this glare. Bringing the hood on her coat fully upon her head, I pulled my hat down further on my head as well. We began walking together; side by side.

Our shoes made the ground crunch together as we walked. I could feel an increase in heat as I walked, mainly around my face. I don't know if it was the cold air that made me feel such a way, or something else entirely. Glances over to Ankha, and she was even closer than I could remember. Was she why I felt warmer?

"Where do you come from, Averi?" Ankha asked of me suddenly, making me straighten up.

"Uh... a city called Rasimere... it's... it's where I lived before moving here, anyway."

"Hm... what was Rasimere like?"

"A little like this... tad bit more tropical though; it didn't snow nearly as much. There was a city there too but... you couldn't just walk up to it like you can here. You had to ride a bus to go all the way from Rasimere to the nearest city. Quite a trip, but you'd meet interesting people on the bus ride."

"Like riding the train," Ankha said as she faced me, "Have you ever gone on a train ride? To any of the neighboring villages?"

"Once or twice. I've been to the town of Corona. Met some guys and stuff..."

"Averi..." her eyes slid into a mighty glare then, making me lock up, "Mind telling me why you're such a recluse? Of everyone in the village, I see you the least."

"I... uh... hadn't really... noticed this..." I lied, knowing full well she was telling the truth. And she knew it too.

"Liar..." Ankha growled at me, "I don't like liars, Averi," she crossed her arms, her eyes seemingly picking me apart, "Tell me... are you a habitual liar, me meow?"

"No, no, no!" I lied, yet again, "Why would you even think that?"

"Because you just lied again," Ankha stated, her growling even more evident, "The mayor doesn't lie. Why do you lie?"

"Hah! Katt doesn't lie!?" I laughed aloud, "She does lie. Katt's just a good liar." And that's the honest truth.

"A better liar than you." that's also the honest truth, "I must thank you, Averi. We're here..."

I came to a stop, realizing we were – in fact – standing in front of Ankha's house. I felt a strange mixture of anger and disappointment as she walked to her front door, and yet I can't explain why. When Ankha opened the door, she pulled back the hood on her head fully then turned to face me. Her ears twitched.

"Please stop the lying, Averi. It distracts from the _good_ qualities you have. Whatever they may be. Me meow."

"Good qualities?" I breathlessly whispered.

 _BOOM!_

The door closed shut, and the lights in her home came on. I lingered outside of Ankha's home, losing track of time and space. The snow in the air had grown stronger; clumps of it stayed on my body. I brushed some off, let others stay, but my body never shifted.

My heart was beating; kinda hard, really. It hurt, I think. But it's strange. It's... it's like when I get done running a bit too hard, and I collapse on my bed. My heart thumps against my chest in an urgent manner. It was like that right now; my heart was beating with urgency. But I'm not tired. At least I don't think I am...

I feel... I feel... I feel... _strange_.

My toes are freezing over. Time to get home.

…

My last girlfriend smoked. Even now, as I lay in my bed, I can feel those lips on mine. I can taste that disgusting taste of tar and cigar with mine. I can still smell it, haunting me, no matter where I go or what I do.

I _miss_ it so much.

Looking across the sheets of my bed, my eyes drop on that empty spot next to it. I pat it down, reminiscing of times passed. It didn't feel like all too long ago where there used to lay another. Even right now, I can still smell her lovely perfume.

It still brings a smile to my face.

I feel like sleeping, yet I'm wide awake. I want to get some rest, but my body doesn't allow me to. Standing up from my bed, I pull my feet over the edge and sit them down on the floor. The door to my staircase is just right there, so I leave my room.

Light after light I turn on in my trek towards my kitchen, hoping a midnight meal will put me in the spirits of rest. I settle on a peanut-butter jelly sandwich; a classic. After cutting it in half, I leave the room, heading back upstairs to my bedroom.

And I stop, as I face the table overlooking my window. More importantly, I face the picture sitting on said table.

 _Pfffft,_ the cat on the picture would end every sentence with. Foolishly, I picked it up and turned it around, my eyes running along text sitting on the picture frame's back.

 _No airbrushing necessary!_

Staring at the picture, I couldn't help but to chuckle. That was until a good and large snowball slammed into my window, startling me, and like the clumsy fool I am, caused me to toss both my plate and the picture I held into the air. Both fell at relatively the same time, and both broke.

"No, no, no! Dammit!"

Getting onto the ground, I scrounged for the now broken pieces of picture seal I needed. The violet frame was somewhat in tact, but the glass was all over the ground, and the photo itself had now been torn. The blonde cat with the white fur on the image was now split and ragged; there was nothing I could do to restore it.

"No... no! DAMMIT!"

I nearly slammed my hands on the ground, which would only serve to stab pieces of glass into my hands. But instead, I sat there on the ground; knees first. And my brown eyes gazed about to the images below. My photo of that lovely cat, and my sandwich; both gone from me. I slammed my face into my hands.

"Son of a... damn..." I looked to the trashcan in the corner of my room, "Damn..."

Bit by bit, my destroyed plate and my sandwich fell into the trash-bin. Holding the picture frame in hand however, I debated with myself on whether it be a good idea to drop it in there as well. I decided against it, however; this picture meant more to me than to simply chuck into the trash. Instead, I placed it in the modern dresser next to my bed. And then, I climbed into said bed.

That could've gone better... Now I'm irritable, and oh so hurt. But, hey, at least I'm tired, so mission accomplished, right? Well, yes... yeah...

Tomorrow would be a new day for me. And yet, I'm ready to meet it head on. I don't know why, though. I'm used to wasting away my days watching TV, and getting funds randomly. But, tonight, I don't know, I feel a little different.

Tomorrow, I'm going to actually _do_ something.

Ow... there's that feeling again. The same one from earlier. Laying here in the bed, I feel it coming at me tenfold. My heart is racing again, like with Ankha before I left and... huh...

Ankha...

* * *

 _Maverick Talks!_

 _And so we begin this story that I've been planing for ages, but never got around to write. Maybe I should hold back on doing such a thing, but, eh... I feel like writing something different, something new!_

 _Here's Animal Crossing!_

 _I'll have you know, I freaking love this game series for reasons I can't explain. And Ankha is one of my favorite villagers from all the games. I remember when she was a super secret character on an island I needed some dumb GBA cord to get to. But I had that cord, and I met her! And she had, like, just one item in her home; the freaking Master Sword from LoZ._

 _But now I digress._

 _I don't really have much to say, other than the fact that I'm going first person for this story; something I haven't done yet on this website. So, we're just gonna have to see how it goes, right?_

 _Welp, here's lookin' at you, pal!_

 _Maverick Kay Prime_


	2. The Ruler of Traverse

The Ruler of Traverse

 _BOOM BOOM BOOM! BOOM BOOM BOOM!_

"What the... heck is... huhhuh?"

My eyes opened, staring about my bedroom in confusion. Pulling up from my bed, the first thing I did – as with every morning – was give a good yawn. Stretched too; gotta start the day right, ya'know? But shortly after, the sound of that 'BOOM BOOM BOOM' reminded me that something was amiss. Seriously, it's not everyday I wake up like this.

 _BOOM BOOM BOOM! BOOM BOOM BOOM!_

"What? C'mon!"

Finally yanking myself from my bed, I made way for my staircase. And then I stepped into something gooey.

"Ewww... what!? Dangit!"

Yeah, it was jelly, once again reminding me of the night before where I broke my plate and a certain someone's picture. And, apparently, I was too lazy to even clean the jam from off he ground. Now my foots sticky, and my room is probably going to smell like grapes for the rest of the evening.

Or the rest of the _week_.

 _BOOM BOOM BOOM! BOOM BOOM BOOM!_

"I'm coming! Hold your horses!"

I really hate being woken up in anyway. I wake up when I wake up! I can't stand it when someone wakes me up, or when a blasted alarm does it. Seriously, to hell with alarms and their annoying sounds! So one could already see how annoyed I was as I hopped down stairs on one foot, trying not to drag anymore jelly throughout my home. That all stopped as I stood before my front door, throwing it open without a moment's hesitation.

"Who is it!?" I snapped, not even bothering to hold my annoyance. Though perhaps I should have; it could have been Marcie, and I'd feel like a dick if I were mean to Marcie. Fortunately, it wasn't Marcie who laid on the other side.

 _SMACK!?_

Ow... my face hurts so much. Why does it hurt so much? Placing my hand on my cheek, I couldn't help but to wonder that in my dazed morning state. But I quickly figured it out. Only one person has the audacity to strike me like this in this city.

"Katt!? What the heck are you doing!?"

She was Katt, my younger – by five whole _years_ – sister. She was also the mayor of this 'fair town'. She paraded around the town in these magnificent clothing that kinda hurt my eyes. The latest in Gracie Grace's clothing, she had these light blue pants, a hand woven white and brown sweater, underneath a heavier jacket. Boots sat on her feet, which was odd. I was used to my sister running around town barefoot, like a little vagrant. All that snow on the ground must not be her cup of tea.

She was short. Shorter than me, though that statement is pointless, since I'm taller than a lot of people. But Katt is short. Like, _really_ short. By like... two whole feet short. But her demeanor was anything but small. From her flashy clothes to her long black hair, she exudes this level of power over everyone else.

Then again, she is this town's mayor.

"You know what I'm doing here," my younger sister replied, standing tall with her fists on her hips, "It's my duty as mayor to visit everyone in town at least once. I'm coming in."

"You mean, 'can I come in'," I corrected, only to be pushed aside by my sister's Sasquatch-like hands. Okay, a slight exaggeration there. More like 'beast-like'.

"No, I said 'I'm coming in'," she replied as she walked into my home, only to cover her nose, "God! This place stinks! Averi! What is that smell!?"

"It's called my natural man musk!" I replied, only to blush as I said that to my younger sister, "Besides, your home doesn't smell so much better."

"Uh, yes it does," she said with a smirk, "My home smells like the death of my enemies."

"Wow, that is not evil in the slightest," I replied, closing the door behind myself to keep out that winter chill, "So, are you finally going to tell me why it is you're here? Like, really? Your house is like, twice the size of mine, what business do you have with me?"

"Woooow, you are such an ass," Katt replied, making me cross my arms, "I come here to check up on my deadbeat brother, and this is the kind of response I get?"

" _Deadbeat!?_ " I shouted back, "How the hell am I a deadbeat!? I actually went to college! Those degrees up there are mine! Sure as hell beasts stumbling into some town as an artist, and magically becoming mayor! Oh, I'm sorry, did I say 'mayor', I meant 'dictator'!"

"Ya'see, this is why mommy asks me to look after your. You constantly yell at people who try to help you, your house stinks, and you dress like a hobo," she replied, making me look down.

Okay, I did dress somewhat like a hobo, but can I say? I had just woken up, and didn't even wash yet. So of course I looked and smelled like I crawled out from under a trash heap. Still, it was somewhat annoying that my sister would point that out. When around other people, she can appear as cuddly as a cat. But when she was around me, her _true_ colors were shown out in full.

"Ah... this conversation isn't over yet," I stated, knowing full well it was over, "Give me a second, I need to wash..."

Annoyed and angry, I marched off for my room upstairs. Grabbing a random assortment of clothing – black denim shirt and a black denim jacket, my usual attire – I turned and made way for my bathroom in the corner. Moving into the room with the porcelain floors, I found myself smiling. My bathroom was, like, my pride and joy. The one room I spent the most time trying to put together. Gathering materials for months, putting them into my drawers and such (don't ask!). When I finally got the extra space I needed, I knew I'd make my bathroom.

And I did. And it's amazing. Oh, so very amazing.

Turning on the shower, before I got in, I trailed my eyes around the tub. All I could remember were silky, pink, laced panties. Ones that would be strewn all around the place. Off the edge, on the shower's spout, hanging on the railing up top.

I merely leaned back, humming at my own memories. Memories of a blonde cat, and her tendency to leave her delicates everywhere. As I doused myself in the shower – and more memories of her flooded my mind – I couldn't help but to smile. She would always get on my nerves, but I would never send her away. I couldn't send her away.

Ya'know, the more I think about it, this affinity I have for a certain blonde cat is _kinda_ strange. Perhaps I need to visit a psychiatrist every once and a while.

After my, admittedly, quick jaunt in the shower, I dressed myself a appropriately. As I walked back out into my room, who would I be surprised to see anyone bu my sister. Her jacket off her shoulders as she rested on my bed, holding a certain picture in her hands. Seeing her like that made me tense up.

"Oh look! It's Monique!" Katt commented rather offhandedly, smiling as she did so, "I haven't seen her in such a long time!"

Immediately, I swiped the piece of paper from her hand, nearly tearing it even further. As soon as I had it in my hands though, I gazed at the picture of the blonde cat, and her make-up covered face. It was still crumbled, still slightly torn, though it appeared slightly smoothed out. Surely my sister's doing, which made me feel somewhat like a dick.

Perfect way to start the day, might I say.

"You know, your obsession with Monique is unhealthy," Katt stated as she stood up from my bed, her arms crossing over one another, "She's gone, Averi. Gone somewhere else."

"I know that," I replied as I put my photo of the feline back into my drawer, "I don't need you to remind me."

"Perhaps," Katt stated as she finally started to leave my home, "Anyway, I burried a new TV outside your house today. The one you said you wanted, right?"

"Why didn't you just mail it to me like a sensible human being? Or, ya'know, just give it to me?"

"Because that's too easy, brother dearest," she stated with a laugh, "Now if you don't mind, I'm going to head out and see if I can make Traverse a more beautiful place."

"Yeeeaaaah. Sure," I replied as I followed her out to my front door, just to make sure she actually did leave. Once she did leave, I could only shrug my shoulders and follow through the door as well. The blistering cold air of the Winter struck me in my face; I was so unprepared for it as well. Biting on my bottom lip, I merely braved the weather, tugging further on my denim jacket.

 _January 17, 2016_.

So, what am I gonna do today? Sell some crap? Well, of course, but sell what? I could sell some of the useless crap in my home, but I'm what they call – in layman's terms – a hoarder. Giving up anything is simply out of the question.

Makes Spring Cleaning pure hell...

So, what should I start doing today? Perhaps start by addressing that insidious beeping noise that constantly echoes out every time I open the door!

 _DING-DONG! DING-DONG! DING-DONG!_

Ah yes, the mailbox. While many people absolutely adore it, I find myself feeling likewise. Especially when I get messages from someone else. Sure, it's old fashion – nothing like an E-mail – but there is just a magic about coming out, and seeing that sign flipped on one's mail box.

What _isn't_ so nice, is that damned sound! Those Ding's and Dongs are like the constantly pounding bells. I blame it on myself, really. If I actually took the time out to answer my mailbox every now and then, perhaps the sound wouldn't be so deadly to my ears.

"Okay, okay," I commented as I opened the box, "Let's see what Pete has in store for me today," when I opened the letter, I came to yet another problem, "Dammit... I don't have any space to hold these..."

…

A good hour later of deciding which letters to throw away and which ones to keep, I was out of my home. I shivered from the cool air of this winter palette, staring up to the morning skies. All I could wonder about was the time; when would Spring come? Despite being a February child myself, I just can't bring myself to like the cold.

Then again, it was so cold I could see my breath, even in the day light.

My hands clasped together, my body shifting elsewhere. I began walking off, humming to myself as I did so. I didn't know what to do, if I should even do anything. I just found myself trailing an invisible path somewhere, wondering what it was I could do today. And thus came one of the biggest reasons I find myself the recluse of this fair town.

I rarely find anything to do! Simply attempting to build upon my house only leads to me being tired, angry, and flat on my ass watching TV. But one look up and over the river I live by, I can see my sister's house. Oh, I'm sorry, did I say 'house'? Because I meant mansion!

Easily, the mayor's house in all of Traverse is the biggest building in sight. Yes, slightly bigger than the Re-Tail and the Town Hall. It's green roof points to the heavens, and its dominating size casts a shadow over damn-near everything. It's an imposing sight, as imposing as Traverse's ruler.

I'm a snarky bastard, for as I stare up to my sister's home, all I can think is 'dictator!' However, seeing that massive home did make me come up with an idea. Hand reaching away, it would return with my trusted fishing rod in hand. Throwing out the string and hook into the river. When that red and white... bobble thing hovered through the river, I just held onto the pole with both hands.

I like fishing. Everything seems to drown out when I do it. As I fish, I can't help but to think back on my past. My father always wanted me to go fishing with him; I'd decline. My sister, on the other hand, took to it without a moment's hesitation. Perhaps if I tried it when I was younger, I would like it then too. But as a man, I can't really say. What I can say is...

There's someone watching me.

"You should pull now, pipsqueak," a whisper came over my shoulder, making me sweat bricks.

"WHAT THE FUUUUUU!? SAMSON!?"

I nearly fell back, about to collapse into the frigid rivers bellow. Before such a horrible – and surely _deadly_ – fate could befall me, a pair of paws slammed on my arm. They pulled me back, accompanied by a 'whoa, whoa, whoa!' I stared ahead to my savior, only for my eyes to drift right over him.

When I looked down, I saw a mouse. Dark skin, black eyes, and with a wicked grin that stretched form cheek to cheek. Even though he was smaller than me by about a foot or two... or _three_ , he didn't have a diminutive stature. No, he felt just as tall as anyone else; his personality was just that way. His 'allure' if you will.

"Heya King M!" the mouse said to me with a thumbs up, "Don'tcha think it's kinda early in the year to be takin' dips in the river? Bound to freeze to death if ya attemptin' somethin' like that!"

"Samson!" I shouted back, "I nearly fell in the river because you scared me half to death!"

"Half to death?" he replied in a thoughtful manner, "You're looking mighty alive if you ask me! How could you be scared half to death then?"

Samson was no idiot, and I knew that. As soon as he finished his childish statement, he busted into a belly of laughter deep within. He nearly fell over into the snow, with me just glaring over him in an annoyed fashion.

"You really want me to choke you, don't you?" I growled, with him finally ceasing his laughter.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," he replied, "Feeeuuuh... I didn't mean to. But I couldn't help it, ey, pipsqueak?"

"Yeah, ey pipsqueak," I replied, groaning.

Samson is my friend. Quite possibly my best friend. He's childish, silly, impetuous, and generally a goofball. Despite being a so-called 'jock', I don't really get that from him. Perhaps it's his aura, as Katt calls it. He doesn't seem like the jerkish type.

But damn if he doesn't keep asking me to 'train my gluts' or something like that! Speaking of which...

"So, Averi, when are we gonna hit the gym together?"

I was just about ready to give him a good piece of my mind about that whole 'gym' concept, when I heard the sound of a door opening and closing. I looked across the river, not to my sister's house, but to a house to the right of it. Or, to my right of her house, anyway.

Anyway, I notice a certain cat in the snow-bound land. She was exiting her home in a puffy jacket; something golden and black. She honestly looked so high-class in the surely warm jacket, her tail curling up the side. The way she stood on her tip-toes in the snow was kinda cute, really. Carrying her items with that immortal frown on her face.

She looked over just briefly, and our eyes met. She must have noticed me noticing her, because I could've sworn a blush formed over her muzzle before she turned to walk off.

"Yo... yo... yo... Earth to King M, Earth to King M. Are ya there, pipsqueak?" Samson's voice echoed into my ear, quickly bringing me out of my self-imposed trance, and reminding me he was there.

"Huh, whuzzat?" I replied as I looked at him, finding his hands on his hips, his head to the side, an an eyebrow raised.

"Are you okay, Averi?" Samson asked, uncharacteristically serious for a change, even if it was minute, "You liked kinda... I don't know... _wobbly_ , I'd say?"

"Ahhhh... I feel like such an idiot," I grumbled back, hoping he didn't hear the statement.

"Why do you say that?" he inquired, to which I quickly sprung up to my feet.

"Never mind that; thanks for the time, Samson! I'm going to talk to Katt for a little bit!"

"Yeah, thanks for the time, pipsqueak," a surely stunned Samson said as I ran off, being sure to pull my fishing rod with me.

I don't know, I just feel kinda weird. Like, there's this nasty taste in the back of my throat. Feels like I'm going to puke up a good bit of bile, but I don't. Perhaps it's for the best that I don't do such a thing; the last thing I want people to see is me upchucking for virtually no reason.

And, yeah, no reason. I'm not sick or anything. In fact, just walking made me feel a heck of a lot better. It's not like I've been a little ill as of late; the most would be when I broke my picture frame last night. But that odd feeling of wishing to puke, was a feeling I know I've felt before. Like, well, it..

It reminds me of a certain _cat_.

And now's the time where I feel creepy as all hell. Leaning up against a tree, doing nothing as I hide from the various assortment of neighbors I have. I didn't really want to see my sister; that was a lie I told Samson just to get out of that situation. Why? Because creepy old me locked eyes with Ankha, and made me feel extra weird.

Rubbing the side of my head, I finally felt energized thanks to the chilling cold air. Perhaps I need to talk to someone about this weirdness I'm feeling, and how it – somehow – ties in with Ankha. Is there something wrong with me? Quite possible.

Perhaps I should talk to someone about how I'm feeling. I need a psychiatrist.

Oh wait, I _am_ a psychiatrist. The only one in this entire town. And despite a lot of people here have their own laundry list of problems, I get about just as much business as one may suspect, i.e. none. I blame it on my sister, really. She has to be the catalyst in all this nonsense.

"Averi. The hell are you doing?" the voice of a certain woman asked, making me damn near choke on air. As it would seem.

I nearly fell over in snow, a low 'Oh shi!' coming out of my mouth, though I stopped it. Before falling over, I stared to my right, eyes landing on my sister. She stared at me in confusion, a bug catching net in hand, eyebrow raised. She seemed peeved, but far less than me, as she hadn't just been snuck up like I was.

"What the? Katt! What are you doing here?"

My sister looked around the land, confusion on her face. Then she looked back with anger, growling just a bit.

"This is my damn town. I can be wherever the hell I want to be," Katt replied, "What about you? Why are you hiding behind a tree like Pheobe in a bad game of Hide-and-Go-Seek?"

I sighed, finding it pointless to lie about something like this to my sister. Despite seeing her as a cruel ruler, she is my sister, and I do love her deeply. Besides, my mind's been in a constant state of flux since seeing Ankha the day before; I don't think I could come up with a good enough lie anyway. I swear, I do feel change.

"Wow, Averi. You look kinda sick," Katt said, her voice holding genuine concern for me, "Are you okay? Did you get sick because of the cold air?"

"No, it's not that," I reply, rubbing my stomach as I do so, "I don't know... ummm... I feel like I've felt something like this before... but it's like... I've forgotten how it feels, I guess?"

"Did you drink last night? Is that why you broke Monique's picture?" Katt asked, face becoming deadpan at my serious status.

"Hey! I'm being real here!"

"Don't shout at me! I'm trying to figure out why you're acting all emo for no reason," I couldn't help but to scowl at her words, making her laugh, "But that's neither here nor there. I was catching bugs, but I guess I can fix your brain for a few minutes. Come with me to my house."

"Say, I thought you said you were going to try and make Traverse a better place today," I commented as I followed her, "What happened to that?"

"Getting rid of the local bug population _is_ making Traverse a better place," she replied in a not creepy fashion. Nuh-uh, not creepy whatsoever, "And making me a tad bit more money as well."

I followed Katt to the front steps of her home, the mansion's foreboding nature making me look up at it. I'm, like, 90% sure this building was funded from money needed to fund actual city projects. Gigantic, unnecessary, and unfortunately impressive. I can't ignore that.

Her building is large – I can't stress that enough – with the walls being pearly white with golden highlights. It appears old – like some Japanese castle – but I'm no historical architecture guy. In front of her home, a large lawn consisting of beautiful flowers. Perfectly balanced too; one side is red made up of red flowers, the other side is made up of yellow ones. It's truly a sight to behold; one would be foolish to think anyone else but Katt ran this village.

My sister was, like, a little devil as she opened the door, giggling to herself. She could sense when people were awe-stricken by her work, even if there is an unspeakable evil behind it all. When she opened the door and that ' _RING-A-DING!_ ' echoed out, I followed her inside.

Right into the main lobby of this variable castle.

At my house, the first floor is golden and yellow; made primarily of regal furniture. I like the regal furniture set. Despite my rougish and introverted nature, I think the regal set is what embodies me. Granted, I could be just lying, and trying to make people _see_ me as a regal-type of person. But I did try my hardest to make the floor look nice.

But Katt, being of such high society and power, doesn't bother with trying to impress people with regal sets. No, she impresses people by having incredibly hard to find crap. Regal furniture is for normal people who _attempt_ to be rich. Rich people have things designed by that dancing peacock guy. What was his name again?

Oh, right, Pavé.

The only thing ugly about this room is the floor. It's some nasty burgundy and brown; it doesn't match with the blue furniture pieces and walls. I can tell Katt got uber lazy with that.

"So... what's up?" Katt asked as she lazily fell on her couch, me sitting on one of her – admittedly – soft chairs she had sitting around.

"I don't know..." I replied, my shoulder's shrugging, "It's like... I ran into-"

 _BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!_

The sudden alarm scared the hell outta me, causing me to come to a complete halt. Katt sprung up quite quickly, throwing her eyes to the wall at the back of the room. She pouted her lips, showing nothing but pure annoyance.

Me? All I could reply with was...

"Oh... I forgot..."

"Stay out here, Averi," Katt said as she walked to the back of the room, her hand laying on the wall, "I've got mayoral duties to accomplish."

To the untrained eye, Katt's first floor room would appear normal. But there laid a hidden panel at the back wall, that – when pressed – would open to reveal another hallway. Katt pressed upon this panel, causing the wall to slide apart harmlessly. This hidden hall was thus revealed, as well as the beeping lights of various machines behind.

I sighed as Katt walked down the hall with heavy footsteps, me sitting behind. But, of course, being me (and generally because I like disobeying my sister), I followed her down the hall. This hall led to a room far colder than the rest, a room filled with various high-end bits of technology. When one enters this room with holograms sticking out from various doohickeys and stuff, they may feel as if they've entered the Starship Enterprise. But, no, this was Katt's secret room. The room where her true evil lays.

Why? Because this room is a surveillance room, where our fair mayor spies over every facet of Traverse's lives. From Marcie to Erik, Mayor Katt watches with an invisible eye. All those random bits of 'projects' put around the town is nothing more than my sister's 'Brother Eye' making sure all in Traverse is 'perfect'. If you look at a Lamppost, be sure it's looking back. But, hey, at least she was kind enough to not put it in people's homes. Even my evil little sister has some since of modesty.

"Where are you...? Where are you...?" Katt mumbled to herself over and over again, searching for that which triggered the alarm, "Ah-ha! Got you!" I looked up to the camera myself, seeing the image of Phoebe. She had just finished eating a piece of candy, and callously tossed the candy rapper on the ground without locating a trash bin of any sort.

For those who don't know, Phoebe's an ostrich who lives in our village; right next door to Katt, in fact. In fact...

We looked to our right in unison, right out the window of Katt's high-tech surveillance studio. Outside was Phoebe. She stared back at us through the window, before playfully smiling and waving. When Katt saw that, she pressed a button, causing shutters to close down over the window and hide us once more.

"Soooo... why does your secret room have windows in it?" I asked, eyebrow raised.

"Shut up!" she replied, eyes lining back up with the screen, "I'll have you no, there's a reason to all this!... that, and it get's kinda creepy here all in the dark."

"Then install lights!"

"Never! Then it looses it's foreboding atmosphere!"

"You're an idiot, you know that?"

"I heard you say words, but my home-made surveillance station says otherwise," Katt replied, me shrugging.

I turned to leave Katt's room, realizing she was stuck 'in the zone' as it were. But as I started to exit, my eyes couldn't help but to look at one of the many cameras strewn about the chamber. While a lot of cameras showed nothing but a silent Traverse, some showed actual people. Traverse is a relatively small place though, so I'm surprised Katt's cameras didn't show everyone. I guess some people had better places to be.

All that being said, I did see someone. A golden cat, with short black hair falling to her neck. Her frown was ever present, as too that snake-like tiara on her head. She was just exiting The Roost, with a cup of warm java in her hand. Surely her morning coffee; I even remember the beans needed to make it.

"Kilimanjaro..." I whispered, involuntarily, and purely by accident.

"Kiliman-who now?" I heard Katt reply from behind.

But I was in my own little world, looking at this feline queen trek through Traverse's snowy lands. She stopped at the bridge over the river, the one nearest to The Roost. Standing on the stone structure, I watched as she sipped some of her coffee, and looked up. Her eyes briefly lined up with the lens of the camera, and for the second time today, my eyes met Ankha's.

And that feeling in my heart appeared again. The weird feeling I can't really explain or describe. Well, not describe well, should I say. It's like my heart is racing, I guess I would say, but it's not really racing. I'm not tired, I'm not exhausted, but my beating heart does hurt. My beating heart it _aches_. It aches for...

"You little pervert," Katt suddenly said, making me look at her. She was smirking, devilishly so, as if she caught someone in a trap. Unfortunately, that person was me.

"You little pervert?" I repeated in confusion, "Wh... what are you talking about?"

"You've got a crush on Ankha, don't you!?"

* * *

 _Maverick Talks!_

 _Heya guys! Sorry it took so long for me to post an update to this story; I honestly didn't mean to just drop it for seemingly no reason. But, hey, I'm back, and hopefully I'll be able to start updating it at a more consistent pace, ya'know?_

 _Anyway, the second chapter of One Year with Ankha (I'm just gonna call it OYA from now on for consistencies sake). With this chapter, I really wanted to just introduce Averi's younger sister, and the mayor of Traverse, Katt. She's the kind of ruler I imagine most people see themselves as when they play Animal Crossing. Be honest, sometimes, you just want to be an evil ruler! Katt is that evil ruler! But she's a good girl. Though, I don't think I showed that off as much as I should have; you'll see it in the future. Promise._

 _Other than that, I don't have much else to say on the chapter. We met Samson though, so it's good to meet someone else from this town. And, I promise, we'll meet even more._

 _But we'll save that for later._

 _See ya on the flip side!_

 _Maverick Kay Prime_


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